


46 days

by Nyxate



Category: League of Legends
Genre: Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Minor Injuries, Mutual Pining, ezreal is bad at keeping promises
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-21
Updated: 2019-12-02
Packaged: 2021-02-18 10:40:38
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 7,818
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21509719
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nyxate/pseuds/Nyxate
Summary: 2 weeks.
Relationships: Ekko/Ezreal (League of Legends)
Comments: 12
Kudos: 67





	1. A promise

**Author's Note:**

> ekkoez???? ekkoez. ekkoez nation rise up

It was just about noon in Piltover, the sun peeking through the clouds and shining down on civilians who were either on their lunch break or just simply roaming the city. The city of progress- or perfection, as some spitefully called it- was always bustling no matter what the time was. At night, bright lights illuminated the city so it was easy to navigate the streets and the shops that lined them. It was beautiful, truly a city where progress was thriving.

To some, anyways.

“I hate being here.” Ekko mumbled under his breath as he walked beside the one Piltovian he was friends with. He stuck close to him, not really wanting to get lost in a city he despised. He only ever really came here with Ezreal, so he didn’t know his way around.

“I know.” Ezreal sighed in response, well aware of how much the other didn’t like his home city. Not that he didn’t have a justified reason. “Come on, we’re almost there.”

In the time they spent together, Ezreal learned quite a lot about why Zaun is the way it is, and why Ekko hated Piltover. Part of him felt bad for not really knowing the true condition of Zaun. A lot of people in piltover, much like himself, were unaware of what was going on down there. It’s not that they weren’t willing to learn, but that the information was being gatekept. Ezreal will never forget Ekko getting so unbelievably mad at him and pouring all the information he had about Zaun onto him in a rant.

Ever since then, though, they had just grown closer. Ezreal’s newfound understanding of Zaun’s situation made Ekko much less hostile towards him as a Piltovian. They hung out a lot more often and it took care of Ezreal’s constant boredom, toning down his almost suicidal explorations. He couldn’t really pinpoint why he liked hanging out with Ekko so much. Maybe it was because despite being from such opposite places, they had a lot more in common than they originally thought.

“Ezreal?” The blonde snapped out of his thoughts when Ekko spoke up, glancing down at the other. He had a slightly annoyed look on his face, and Ezreal couldn’t help but laugh a little.

“Sorry, sorry. Lost in thought.” He hummed, lifting his head up to look at the signs of the buildings they passed by. Thankfully, they were still on the right track. “Almost there.”

“You said that 5 minutes ago,” Ekko said, mildly bothered by how crowded the streets were. He inched closer to Ezreal, not wanting to walk into any strangers. “I don’t like being out here.”

“I know, I know. Look, it’s just up ahead, alright?” Ezreal grabbed Ekko’s wrist as they closed in on the place they were headed towards, not wanting the other to get lost in the growing crowd. Ekko didn’t protest, however, he did note how warm Ezreal’s hand was.

Pushing past all the people at the trading centers, the boys found themselves in front of a decent-sized building. Ezreal pulled Ekko inside before he could read the sign, not that he really minded. The warmth that welcomed him felt so nice.

“Ezreal!” A voice called out from across the building, catching not only Ezreal’s attention, but Ekko’s as well. A woman behind a counter waved to them, a grin spread across her face. She had dark brown hair that was tied up in a tight bun and sparkling green eyes. Freckles dotted her face and her arms, which were open wide in a welcoming stance. “Come on, dear, don’t be shy! No one is here. Well, besides your friend, that is.”

Ezreal sighed quietly so that only Ekko would hear, before making his way over to the woman who nearly hugged the life out of him. She ruffled his hair, forcing him to run his fingers through it and fix it. He turned around to face Ekko, beckoning him over. “Ekko, this is Mari. Mari, this is Ekko.”

“Nice to meet you, my dear,” Mari offered her hand to the boy, who hesitantly took it for a handshake. She smiled at him afterwards, and Ekko tried his best not to judge since it seemed genuine. When she turned to Ezreal, she cocked her head a bit. “What brings you here? I haven’t seen you in a few months, at least.”

“Yeah, sorry. I don’t stay in Piltover for long periods of time.” Ezreal shoved his hands in his pockets as he spoke, glancing around the place. They were standing in a cafe that Ezreal used to come to quite frequently a few years ago, when he was actually living in Piltover. It hadn’t changed much since he had last been there. If anything, it seemed like it expanded in size, which wouldn’t surprise him. They were in the city of progress, after all. “You’ll get busy in like, an hour or two, right? Mind if we just sit and chill for a little bit? It’s crazy out there.”

“Of course! You know I wouldn’t mind. Can I get you boys anything?” She stepped out from behind the counter, leading them both to a table that was in the corner of the building. If there was one thing that surprised Ekko, it was that Ezreal did in fact like a bit of privacy, despite how loud and obnoxious he could be at times. This woman must’ve already known that.

“A hot chocolate for me. It’s stupid cold out there.” Ezreal said as he sat down, glancing out the window next to them. Ekko asked for the same, not really knowing what else they had. Mari nodded, smiling as she walked away from them and called out to someone in the back.

Ezreal hummed, running a hand through his hair. Ekko watched him, admiring how the messy blonde locks fell in front of his face. They were quiet for a minute, before Ekko finally spoke up. “So, why here?”

“Hm? Oh, this place? Dunno. I guess it’s just the first place I thought of going.” He glanced over at Ekko for a moment, before looking back out the window at the bustling sidewalk. “Piltover has a lot of places to go, but most of the people there are either stuck up or it’s just overcrowded.”

“Why don’t you stay in Piltover?”  
  
“I just don’t feel like it. I’ve seen it all, I guess. Besides…” Ezreal paused, his eyes travelling to look at the floor. “...maybe my parents really are out there.”

“Ezreal…” Ekko looked at his own hands, which were folded on the table, just to give his eyes something to look at.

He knew about Ezreal’s parents. He doesn’t quite remember when Ezreal brought it up, but it was another key point in their kindling relationship. It gave Ekko some empathy for the blonde.

“That’s why I’m going off again.” Ezreal’s voice was quieter than normal, which threw Ekko off. Not that he hadn’t experienced this before- as they grew closer, Ezreal dropped the cool guy act sometimes, especially when they just enjoyed each others company. “To Shurima.”

 _“What?”_ Ekko didn’t mean for his voice to sound so harsh, but he was both surprised and almost upset at the words that just left the blonde’s mouth. “You’re kidding, right? You told me yourself how dangerous is it there. You want to go _back?_ ”

“No, I’m not kidding.” Ezreal finally turned to face him, but paused before speaking up again when he heard footsteps coming towards them. It was Mari, with 2 cups on a silver tray. She gently set it down on the table, clasping her hands together afterwards.

“The wife made this special just for you two! She says hello to you, Ezreal.” She gave another warm smile as she spoke, placing a hand on the blonde’s shoulder. Ezreal thanked her and watched her walk away, making sure she was in the back before continuing to speak.

“There’s plenty of places in Shurima I haven’t searched, Ekko. Besides, I’m itching for another adventure. The last one I went on wasn’t even that exciting.” Ezreal said as he picked up his cup, carefully blowing at the top of the liquid to try and cool it down. Ekko, on the other hand, wasn’t having it.

“You need to chill out. You can’t keep on going on these ridiculously dangerous explorations. What if something bad happens?” Ekko wrapped his hands around the ceramic cup, appreciating the warmth it brought. He watched Ezreal closely, not appreciating how long it was taking him to reply.

“If something bad happens, at least I’ll die doing something I love, right?”

Silence fell between them. Ekko’s grip around the cup tightened, just like his chest did with how easily those words left Ezreal’s lips. “That’s not funny.”

“I wasn’t trying to be? It’s the truth, man. It’s like…I don’t know how to explain it. The thrill I get is incredible.” Ezreal took a sip of his drink, wincing at how hot it still was. “Relaxing is nice and all, but I get bored easily.”

“I’m not entertaining enough?” Ekko said it as a joke, but part of him meant it. It did make Ezreal laugh, though.

“No, no. You’re plenty entertaining, promise.” Ekko chose to ignore the slightly flirty tone Ezreal used and instead focused on his drink while the other continued on. “I love hanging out with my friends, I really do, but sometimes I just get the itch for something more. Something exciting and dangerous.”

“Just walk around Zaun after dark.” Another half-joke. “I’m sure Warwick could give you some kind of horrible thrill.”

“Listen, I can deal with ancient tombs riddled with dangerous traps, but I draw the line at feral, bloodthirsty dogs.” Ezreal shuddered at the thought. Ekko laughed.

“I see. You seem to have your priorities all screwed up, then.”

“Yeah. Always have, I guess.”

They both fell quiet as they sipped their drinks, admiring the warm feeling it brought them. Ezreal looked out the window again, observing the people walking by. Ekko, on the other hand, observed the blonde.

The younger was well aware of how he felt about Ezreal. Did he like it? No, not really. He never really thought he’d be attracted to someone who constantly put their life on the line with ridiculously dangerous adventuring. But as they had grown closer, Ekko found himself catching feelings. When Ezreal opened up to him and was _real_ with him, it hit different. He found himself frequently thinking about when they would just sit and enjoy each others’ company. There were times where he thought that maybe, _maybe,_ Ezreal shared these same feelings, but he wasn’t going to jump to any conclusions. He didn’t want to build himself up only to be faced with disappointment.

“I won’t go if you really don’t want me to.” Ekko snapped out of his thoughts when Ezreal spoke up again. It took him a minute to process what he said, only to become confused once he did.

“Huh?” Ekko placed down his drink, unsure of how to really respond. “You...won’t go. If I don’t want to you?”

“Yeah. I don’t like it when you’re upset, or mad at me.” Ezreal stared into his hot cocoa, looking as though he was deep in thought. “...don’t know why. I just hate when I make you upset. So if you really don’t want me to go, I guess I won’t.”

“Are you okay? Are you really Ezreal?” Ekko wasn’t sure what brought the sudden change upon him, but he didn’t like it. He leaned down and forward, trying to look up at Ezreal, who was hanging his head just slightly. “Do you have a fever?”

“Oh, come on. I’m fine. I’m just trying to be considerate, I guess. Don’t think I could focus on adventuring if I know you’re gonna be worrying about me the whole time.” The blonde lifted his head, a more serious expression on his face.

“It’s fine. Do whatever you want, Ez. Just please, be _careful._ ” Ekko’s eyes met Ezreal’s, and there was a look in them that Ekko couldn’t decipher. His tone shifted to something softer. “The only problem I have is your willingness to accept death while doing this kind of stuff. It makes me uneasy.”

“I mean, I haven’t died yet. It’s not like I want to. But if I happened to, it’s just the mindset I have. Trust me, I try to make it out as alive as I can.” Ezreal gave a short laugh, tearing his eyes away from Ekko’s. “I probably wouldn’t even be gone for that long anyways. 2 weeks at most. Just something to give a little thrill.”

“Promise?”

“You know how good I am at keeping promises.”

“Yeah, but I mean it this time, Ez. You said you won’t go if I don’t want you to, right? I don’t want you going if you can’t promise me that you’ll come back within 2 weeks.” Ekko leaned back against the chair he was sitting in, crossing his arms over his chest. Ezreal sighed, feeling defeated.

“Fine, fine. I promise. I’ll go in, search for what I want, and get out. I already have a vague idea of where it should be, so it definitely won’t take me too long. Besides, I know some short cuts.” Ezreal winked at Ekko, who rolled his eyes in response despite the butterflies it gave him.

“When do you plan on leaving?”

“Probably tomorrow. I just have to gather some supplies and stuff before going off.”

“Oh.” Ekko rested his elbows on the table, placing his chin in the palm of his hand. “That’s pretty quick. So you’re gonna stay in Piltover tonight?”

“Yeah, mind as well. Gonna go visit my uncle and see how he’s doing, before I swipe some of his stuff to take with me. He hates when I do that.” A sly grin spread across his face which, in turn, make Ekko smile himself. Ezreal seemed like he was back to his normal self for now. “I’d take you to meet him, but it’s pretty far from here. I don’t want to overwhelm you anymore than being here already has.”

“How sweet.” Ekko rolled his eyes, sarcasm dripping off his words. Ezreal chuckled before taking another sip of his drink.

“Of course. I’m probably the sweetest Piltovian you’ve met.” Ezreal’s voice was both sarcastic and oddly flirty. Ekko felt like he was going to die just listening to it. Thankfully, it shifted once the blonde changed the subject.

They chatted about other things while they resided at the cafe, ignoring those who came and went throughout the 2 hours they sat there. They decided to leave when the crowd outside had dissipated, making it much easier to walk back to Zaun’s border. Despite that, though, Ekko still stuck close to Ezreal. While he knew Piltover was nothing like Zaun, he was still hyper aware of his surroundings. Not that he couldn’t take care of himself, but he felt safer next to someone who knew their way around the city.

“Well, here we are.” Ezreal stopped at the border, looking down at Ekko, who had also stopped next to him. “You need me to come with you?”

“No, I’m fine. I know my way back from here.” Ekko looked up at the sky and took a deep breath, letting it out as a sigh before stepping over. He turned around to face Ezreal, waving to him. “I’ll see you…”

He fell quiet, realizing that no, he wasn’t going to see him soon. 2 weeks wasn’t that long of a time, but with how frequently they hung out together, not seeing the blonde for that long was going to feel like ages.

“...I’ll see you when you get back. 2 weeks.”

“2 weeks. I made a promise. Don’t get too bored without me.” Ezreal laughed as he turned around, walking back the way he came. Ekko stood there, watching him walk away until he was no longer in sight. He sighed, looking at Piltover one last time before walking back home. Once he got settled in, he made a note of the date on his calendar, marking the day 2 weeks from now.

Ezreal would be back in 2 weeks. He promised.

He _promised._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> :)


	2. a broken promise

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> three, four, five.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> im so very tired and ik this was supposed to only be 2 chapters but ive decided to make it 3. thank u thats all

The first week went by rather fast, Ekko easily occupying himself with things he had been procrastinating for the past month. Tweaking inventions, cleaning up around his house, testing out new ideas he had been putting off...you name it. By keeping himself busy, it was easy to keep his mind off of Ezreal. He’d wake up, mark an x on his calendar over what day it was, then put himself to work. By the end of the week, he had finished just about everything he wanted to get done. It was easy to do when he didn’t have the blonde around to distract him.

The thought brought a smile to his face. He remembered how afraid and nervous he was to bring Ezreal into his house. It wasn’t big at all and quite cramped- basically nothing compared to the houses in Piltover. But to his surprise, Ezreal wasn’t quick to judge. In fact, he was mostly just interested in what contraptions Ekko had laying down. Despite how stupid Ezreal could be, Ekko was well aware of how smart the blonde actually was. If Ekko had a question, Ezreal would be able to answer it ninety-five percent of the time. He claimed he had a knack for absorbing information, so much that it even irritated his uncle.

He had laughed off the last part, but something behind the laugh told Ekko that maybe Ezreal didn’t really have the best relationship with his uncle.

Ekko sighed, sitting down on the floor. He missed Ezreal more than he thought he would. He had gotten so used to them hanging out together, whether it be them going somewhere or them just enjoying each others presence. Those were some of Ekko’s favorite times, both of them sitting and relaxing, not really doing anything. There were other times when Ezreal would be unusually quiet while Ezreal spoke, so intent on listening to him speak that he didn’t give any commentary himself. Ekko couldn’t say he didn’t like it, though. Something about Ezreal being so...interested in what he had to say was endearing, and made him feel warm.

The chime of the Piltovian clock faintly echoed throughout the city, taking him out of his Ezreal-ridden thoughts. He glanced up at the calendar, looking at the black x’s he had made as the week progressed. Was it weird for him to be keeping track of how long it has been? Probably. Did he care? Not really. If he wasn’t in love with the risk-taking Piltovian, he wouldn’t care nearly as much.

Unfortunately for him, he was.

Week two wasn’t much different, except that he thought about Ezreal a lot more than he wanted to. He didn’t really have much to do and it was hard to think of new ideas when his mind was bubbling with thoughts of the blonde, such as how he was doing and if he might come home early. Even the kids he hung out with noticed a change, asking him if he was okay due to him spacing out more often than not. Some of them even asked about Ezreal since they had seen Ekko hang out with him more than once and were curious of his whereabouts. They all had the same idea about Pilties: none of them were good. But if Ekko thought Ezreal was okay, so did they.

“Do you know where he went?” One of the younger boys asked, tilting his head to the side curiously. Ekko hummed, leaning against the wall of the alley they were in.

“Yeah. Shurima.” As soon as the name of the region left his lips, all of their eyes widened. He couldn’t help but laugh.

“Shu-ri-ma...isn’t that place really old?” The same boy asked, counting out the syllables of Shurima on his fingers. His face scrunched up while thinking about it. “Why would he go there?”

“It’s a long story.” Ekko said with a sigh, sliding down the wall so he could sit. He looked up at the sky- or, well, the thick grey cloud that hung over Zaun. He’d never be able to look at the same sky Ezreal was looking at. “He’ll be back soon.”

“Do ya miss him?” A different boy spoke up this time, rocking back and forth on his heels. He was only a year and a half younger than Ekko, so he understood more than the rest of the others did.

“...yeah. I guess I do.”

“Do you think he misses you?”

The question caught Ekko off guard. “Uh, what makes you ask?”

“You guys just seem really close.” This time it was a young girl who spoke. She fiddled with her fingers, pushing them together and entwining them to keep herself distracted. “You never used to leave Zaun. Ever since you met him, you’ve been going to different places lots more.”

“Oh. I...guess you’re right.” Ekko never really thought about it, but they were speaking the truth. Zaun was the place Ekko resided in for all of his life. He knew the whole city like the back of his hand, much like Ezreal did with Piltover. But unlike Ezreal, Zaun was the _only_ place he knew like the back of his hand. Ezreal...knew about places that Ekko had never even heard of. Ridiculous shortcuts he never would’ve thought to exist. If there was one thing he was jealous of, it was Ezreal’s knowledge of the world. “Well, he’s the one who takes me everywhere. I wouldn’t even know how to get to some of the places I’ve been without him.”

“But do you think he misses you? You didn’t answer the question.”

Again, Ekko didn’t really think about whether Ezreal would miss him or not. Now that he was thinking about it, he did want Ezreal to miss him. It was only fair if they both missed each other, right? Then again, Ekko wasn’t really sure how Ezreal felt about him in the first place. His brain hurt trying to figure it out.

“I don’t know. Maybe.”

“Maybe? That’s not a good answer.”

“Well too bad. That’s the only answer I have.” Ekko shut his eyes, resting his head against the wall. He thought about what Ezreal could possibly be doing, hoping that he was actually just on his way home.

Furthermore, he hoped he was okay.

* * *

Quick footsteps echoed throughout the chamber as the blonde ran for his life, hopping over broken statues and blinking out of the way of falling rocks with his arcane shift. His chest heaved, barely able to keep up with how fast he was moving. The world around him was a blur, as there was just too much for him to focus on one thing or the other.

When he thought he was clear of any traps, new ones appeared, nearly taking his life with a single blast or an onslaught of blades. He dipped and swerved around them, blinking when he had the energy in him to do so. He swore under his breath whenever he heard a clicking sound, anticipating the activation of some new death device. Every time it got worse and every time he thought it’d be the end of him.

He felt something skid across his arm and hissed out a breath between his teeth, glancing down at his arm. He wasn’t fast enough to dodge all of the traps and it showed. His arms were riddled with injuries of different sizes, some being small cuts he had obtained before he even started running for his life and others were slightly deeper slashes that were still bleeding. He didn’t have the time to tend to his wounds, knowing it’d only put him in more danger if he stopped to wrap them.

He ducked his head as a giant blade came swinging down, nearly beheading him. He paused, taking a deep breath, trying to at least get some air back in his lungs. Unfortunately, in that moment, a slew of arrows rained towards him, catching him off guard. He managed to blink out of the way, but not before an arrow managed to lodge into his side, others skimming his arms and face. He ran his thumb against the cut on his cheek, clicking his tongue in frustration when he saw red. Mumbling a curse or two, he ripped the arrow out of his side, ignoring the wound as he started to run again.

At the worst times, when he felt like he couldn’t go on anymore, he thought about Ekko. If he hadn’t promised to make it out of Shurima alive, he would have given up a while ago. Not that he was just willing to die, but that he wasn’t sure how much longer he would’ve been able to go on. He was tired, _so_ tired and so goddamn lost that he wasn’t sure if he was ever really going to make it out, but he had to try.

For him.

Distracted by his thoughts, he tripped over a thick root protruding out of the cracked floor. The fall knocked the wind out of him, and the harsh clicking sound that followed his fall made his anxiety spike to levels he had never felt before. The ground shook around him and he watched with horror as the cracks around him grew in size, splitting one at a time, until the floor below him collapsed. He desperately looked around for something to hold on to, but it was no use.

Down he went, plummeting into the dark.

* * *

Three weeks.

Ekko stared at his calendar, chest tight with an incredible amount of dread. The date he had circled in red now had black x’s going beyond it, getting messier as the days went by. No, something must have gone wrong. He must’ve lost count. The dates had to be wrong, right? He knew they weren’t, but thinking about it that way made him feel a little better.

When the fourth week started, he headed to Piltover. He sought out Lux, someone that he knew Ezreal was somewhat close with. Or he thought so, at least.

“Ezreal? Well, we haven’t been keeping up with each other for the longest time, actually. We’re busy people.” Lux hummed, tapping her fingers against her chin. “I do know that he’s not really the best at keeping promises, so I wouldn’t worry about it. I’m sure he’ll be back soon. Whenever he goes out on expeditions, he usually takes about three weeks.”

“It’s been three weeks,” Ekko didn’t have the energy to deal with this. Being in Piltover without Ezreal was already tough enough. “He’s not back yet.”

“Then I’m sure he’ll be back by the end of this week! He’s pretty good with his time blocks, but sometimes he goes over a little bit. There’s nothing to worry about.” Lux gave him a reassuring smile.

By week five, he stopped marking the days.

Looking at the calendar made him feel sick and thinking about what day it was made his head hurt. The more days that passed by only made him feel worse.

He should’ve told him to stay.

Ekko shoved his face into his hands, leaning against the wall opposite to the calendar. Part of him wished he had never grown so close to the blonde. Then he wouldn’t have known he went on some dangerous adventure, and he wouldn’t care so much about if Ezreal was- if he was-

_Dead-_

Finally giving into his emotions, Ekko collapsed, sliding down the wall to sit on the floor. He let out everything he was holding in, unable to control the floodgates.

There were a lot of things Ekko regretted. Most of them were things of the past; things he had years to reflect on.

Never did he once think he’d ever have the regret of never being able to tell Ezreal how he really felt weighing on his shoulders.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ... :)


	3. warmth

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> he was warm.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry this took longer ik i released the first 2 chapters within like a day of eachother but then i get hit w writers block wven though i knew what was gonna happen and how it was gonna end ... please forgive me n enjoy

_‘This is where it ends.’_

The world around him was nothing but a blur as he fell into the depths, his back towards whatever ground he may eventually hit. Mind racing, his life flashed before his eyes. He thought of every wrong thing he’s ever done, everyone he’s let down, every promise he’s broken-

 _Especially_ that one. He let _him_ down.

Before he had time to even grieve over his mistakes, his back hit something that wasn’t solid, becoming enveloped in a cold liquid as he sank down, hearing the debris from the floor that once held him follow shortly. Instinctively, his eyes shut, but he forced them open with the burst of adrenaline he got.

Figuring out that he was definitely underwater, he started to swim up. He wasn’t sure how far he sank down, but what he did know what that he definitely didn’t think he was going to plummet into water, and thus didn’t have enough air in his lungs to stay under for much longer. The urge to take in a deep breath grew stronger by each passing second, and he was sure that _this_ was going to be the end of him.

Everything around him started to go dark, his head spinning as he so desperately tried to reach the surface. Since he had fallen from at least a hundred feet, if not more, he couldn't possibly estimate how long it would take him to swim up. With his vision starting to fade and lungs that were screaming for air, he wasn’t going to make it.

_‘I’m sorry, I’m so sorry, I--’_

His hand was the first to fly out above the water, his head following shortly after. He gasped, not really believing that he was still alive, for some godforsaken reason. He looked around as quickly as he could, his vision slowly coming back to him. A ledge caught his attention, just barely in his sights. Lacking the energy to keep himself above the rapids, he took a deep breath before diving under, making his way towards his destination.

Touching the side of the ledge brought him a wave of relief. He barely had the strength to pull himself up and out of the water, but once he did, he collapsed in on himself. Blonde hair stuck to his face, along with his clothes, and the warm air welcomed him. He hated how hot Shurima was, but god did he appreciate it right then and there. It made him feel a bit dizzy, though he wasn’t sure if it was because of the heat or the unwrapped wounds that were still bleeding, now thoroughly cleansed from being in the water. Annoyed, he groaned, pulling off the backpack he was sporting. How it didn’t fall off of him, he wasn’t sure, but he wasn’t going to complain.

What he could complain about was how wet it was, along with everything in it. His medical supplies were probably useless now besides the bandages. Even if they weren’t, he was still going to use them. He wasn’t going to let himself pass out from blood loss after all he just went through. With shaking hands, he carefully wrapped the wounds on his arms, moving to the arrow wound in his side afterwards. Unable to wrap every injury he sported, he settled for wrapping the more intense ones. After doing so, he laid down, letting himself breathe for a moment.

He was alive. Barely, but _alive._

The sound of rushing water almost relaxed him, now that he wasn’t in it. He was so incredibly tired, more tired than he had ever felt in his entire life. He just wanted to get out of Shurima, go home and see…

Ekko.

He sat up abruptly, causing his head to spin. Ekko. _Ekko._ He had to get back to him, but he wasn’t sure where the hell he was anymore. Was there even a way out? He looked around for any sign of escape, but was only met with the vast waters in front of him.

Feeling defeated, he rested his face in his shaking hands, taking in wavering breath. He let out a short, sorrowful laugh. He thought he did the impossible, but instead it seemed like he really was going to perish in these ruins.

Ezreal had few regrets. The ones he had were important to him, wishing he could turn back time to fix it all.

It tore him apart that his biggest regret of all was going to be never letting Ekko know how much he meant to him.

* * *

Forty-six days.

Though Ekko stopped marking the days on the calendar, it didn’t mean he had lost count. Every day that went by he lost a little more hope, not that he had much of it left. He tried his best to continue on like nothing was wrong, like everything was okay and Ezreal was _definitely coming back-_

It was worse when he had to keep his composure around the others. They weren’t stupid, though, and were well aware what Ezreal’s disappearance meant. In Zaun, even the youngest children knew what death was, and with Ekko’s change in behavior it was fairly easy to tell that the blonde wasn’t coming back.

“Um...Ekko?” One of the children spoke up, making their way over to him. He was sitting on the floor with his arms on his knees, head hidden in them. The kid sat next to him, not wanting to disturb him too much. “Is everything okay?”

The question was answered with silence. Ekko knew that if he spoke up, he wasn’t going to be able to keep up this facade. He just curled into himself more, grip around his knees tightening.

“He’ll come back for sure,” they continued on, fumbling with their fingers nervously. They were only a few years younger than Ekko, but children grew up quite fast in Zaun. “I don’t think he would just die.”

“I didn’t think so either.” The words were almost bitter, said not with spite, but with regret and sorrow. His chest tightened, realizing how close he was to accepting that Ezreal was in fact never coming back. He should’ve said no. If he had the power to turn back time to six and a half weeks ago, he would’ve told him to stay. That going to Shurima again was a death wish. That he cared about him too much to see him go.

Unfortunately, the only time he could turn back was limited to a few minutes at most.

“Ekko, did you…” A pause. Ekko could hear the nervous hesitation and didn’t like where this conversation might be going.

“...did you like Ezreal? Like, um... _like_ him?”

A sad, weak laugh left Ekko’s throat. He lifted his head to the sky, staring at the thick grey mist that hung over the city. He took in a deep breath through his nose, trying to muster up some kind of composure before answering.

“...yeah.” His voice wavered slightly and he tightened his grip around his knees, doing his best to not let himself fall apart. “I did. A lot.”

“Oh…” The kid went quiet, staring at their hands, twining their own fingers together to try and focus on something else. Ekko let his arms fall to his sides, getting lost in his own thoughts as the other children talked amongst themselves.

There we so many things he wished he had gotten to say to Ezreal. Sure, he wanted to believe that he was alive. That maybe he was out there, just lost, though that didn’t make Ekko feel any better, to be fair. Ezreal getting lost was a foreign concept to him, since he seemed to know most places like the back of his hand, always saying that he didn’t need a map. Thinking about it made a small, sad smile tug at the sides of Ekko’s mouth.

 _God,_ he missed him. He missed him _so_ much. He…

“Ekko!” Hearing his name called so abruptly caused him to jump a little, snapping him out of his grieving thoughts. He turned his head towards whoever yelled to him, a confused look on his face. Seeing how wide eyed the others were only confused him more.

“Ekko, Ekko look-” The boy who called his name spoke louder, more exasperated than before, pointing at something in the distance. Still lost, Ekko’s eyes followed their arm.

His heart nearly stopped the moment he laid eyes on what they were talking about.

Though Ekko could barely make out his face from how far away he was, there was no denying who that blonde in the distance was. He wasn’t quite sure if he was hallucinating from the lack of sleep he was getting or if he was daydreaming, but he didn’t really care. Slowly, he got up, both his hands and legs shaking from the absolute shock he was in.

Taking a deep, shaky breath, he started to make his way towards him. The closer he got, the more sure he was that this was in fact real life, and that he wasn’t dreaming. He wasn’t really sure when he picked up the pace and started running, but he was met with open arms once he finally reached him, nearly tackling the blonde.

When he felt Ezreal’s arms wrap around him and pull him closer, he definitely knew it was real.

“Ezreal,” Ekko’s voice was breathless, as he was both tired from running and from the pure disbelief that he was even speaking to him. He reached up and ran his fingers through the blonde hair he missed so much. “I thought, I...I thought…”

“I know,” Ezreal’s voice was shaking ever so slightly, tightening his grip around Ekko and leaning into his touch. Despite how much the impact hurt, he refused to let go. “I’m sorry, I’m so _sorry,_ Ekko, I…”

“You’re here, you’re alive, you’re…” Ekko began, but ended up trailing off when he felt himself start to break. Everything came crashing down on him as the emotional dam he had built finally split. His breathing hitched when he tried to stop himself from crying.

“I shouldn’t be,” Ezreal gave a short, half-hearted laugh, before sighing. “But I am...for you.”

“Ez…” His composure finally shattered, burying his face in Ezreal’s shoulder. He had never felt such an intense wave of relief wash over him. Every single thought of grief was whisked away, replaced with an overwhelming need to spill out everything he felt towards the blonde. “You...you were gone for- for--”

“Way longer than I intended?” He took in a shaky breath, trying his best to keep himself together. “I know. I didn’t-”

“Forty...forty-six days. That’s how long.”

“You…” Though Ekko couldn’t see his face, he could tell by the sound of his voice and the way his grip tightened that Ezreal didn’t like that one bit. “You kept count?”

“I marked when you were going to be back,” Ekko’s voice was muffled, but he didn’t care. It barely masked the fact that he was crying. “My calendar is a...a mess. I stopped marking it after a few weeks, but...kept count in the back of my head.”

“Ekko…” Ezreal’s voice was barely a whisper but Ekko could clearly hear the guilt in his voice. When the blonde’s grip around him loosened, he lifted his head up. Ezreal refused to look at him, instead choosing to stare at the ground behind him. After a long pause, he shut his eyes, hanging his head. “I’m sorry...I’m sorry, I never....I never wanted you to--”

“Hey,” Ekko’s voice was shaking just as much as Ezreal’s, and it was safe to say that neither of them were in a good state. Nonetheless, Ekko reached up a hand, gently brushing his thumb against the cut on Ezreal’s cheek, making the other wince ever so slightly. In doing so he opened his eyes, looking down at Ekko, who continued on. “It’s...it’s okay.”

“It’s not,” The blonde shook his head, looking away once again. Despite that, he retightened his grip around Ekko. “You...you thought I was dead. You’re the last person I’d ever want to think that. You mean so _much_ to me, and…”

A pause. Oh Ezreal, you’re really in it now.

“And, I uh...well,” Hesitating, he looked back down at the other, who was...laughing. Not _at_ him, though. It was a slightly sad, yet relieved laugh, very quiet and just loud enough for Ezreal to hear. When Ekko looked back up at him, he was crying again.

“You mean a lot to me too,” Ekko rested his hands on Ezreal’s arms, rubbing his thumbs against the cloth that covered them. He could definitely feel bandages under his coat, but he’d worry about that later. Taking in a deep breath, he tried to think of the right words he wanted to say. “I...I was afraid that I’d never get to...tell you, because you...you were--”

“Me too,” Ezreal cut him off, releasing his grip around him only to grab at his hands, intertwining their fingers together on some impulse decision. There were a million different things racing through his mind, but that seemed like a good choice. He hoped. “Me...too. I-I thought I was dead, and that I’d never get to tell you how I really felt.”

“You should’ve told me before you left.” He gently squeezed Ezreal’s hands, admiring how warm they were.

“Yeah, I should’ve. I probably wouldn’t have left at all if I did.” The blonde hummed, rubbing his thumbs against Ekko’s palms. “But we both know I don’t think about things like that.”

“Mhm,” Ekko looked at their hands, the warmth in his chest growing by the second. “You’re right.”

“Will you ever be able to forgive me?” Ezreal’s voice was laced with a teasing tone, but Ekko didn’t mind. The heavy atmosphere was around them was being lifted, no longer filled with the suffocating feelings of grief and regret.

“I’ll think about it.” He let his grip on Ezreal’s hands loosen, reaching one of his own up to tap at his chin, looking up at the sky and pretending that he was thinking about something. He wasn’t mad at Ezreal in the slightest, but decided to play along.

Ekko nearly jumped when he felt Ezreal grab his wrist ever so gently, pulling his hand away from his face. Bringing his attention back to the blonde, he was startled by how unbelievably close the other’s face was to his. Ezreal was leaning down so that their foreheads were almost pressed together and he reached up to cup Ekko’s face. The younger blinked a few times before everything clicked in his head.

Very gently, with a little bit of hesitation as if he was afraid Ekko would pull back, Ezreal closed the distance between them. Ekko’s eyes fluttered shut, reaching up and wrapping his arms around Ezreal’s neck, leaning up into the kiss. It was soft and longing, Ekko sliding his hands up to thread his fingers through blonde hair while Ezreal rubbed his thumbs against his cheeks. It was short lived, both of them slowly pulling away, but they both had dumb smiles on their face when they finally opened their eyes.

“Do you forgive me now?” Ezreal stood up straight again, letting his arms fall to his sides. Ekko sighed, rolling his eyes as he removed his hands from Ezreal’s hair, crossing his arms.

“I guess I have to.” No matter how annoyed he tried to sound, it didn’t come off the way he wanted to. Truth be told, he couldn’t be happier, despite his stomach being full of butterflies.

“I sure hope so. I really don’t want to go back to Piltover right now.”

“Why?”

“I uh...my uncle. Y’know. Took some stuff from him. Definitely wouldn’t care that I almost died out there.”

“Oh. Right.” Ekko fell silent, thinking for a moment. Curious, he reached out and pulled up one of Ezreal’s sleeves, making the other wince. His arm was heavily bandaged in all different places, and it was worse than Ekko thought. “Come stay with me then. You...really got hurt out there, didn’t you?”

“It’s...a long story.”

“I’ve got all the time in the world.”

“I know you do.” Ezreal laughed a little, reaching his hand out to Ekko, who gladly accepted it. Before he could speak up again, the sound of many little footsteps interrupted him. Ekko turned his head, looking behind him, sights falling on the group of kids running towards them.

The children surrounded them, absolutely beaming, visibly excited by Ezreal’s return and Ekko’s uplifted mood. They all decided to speak at once, some to Ekko and others to Ezreal, bombarding the blonde with different questions such as where he had been, what took him so long, and if he had brought anything back. Ekko watched as he answered them, knowing very well the story he was telling was an abridged version, clearly leaving out heavy details. He admired the energy Ezreal put into it, despite how tired he knew the other was.

“A true explorer follows the compass in their heart,” Ezreal glanced over at Ekko for just a second, before bringing his attention back to the group of kids in front of him. “Which is how I found my way back here.”

Once Ezreal concluded his story and the children began to talk amongst themselves, he brought his attention back to Ekko, who was looking at him with an expression he couldn’t really pinpoint. He was then pulled into a hug, one that was different than the melancholic one they had shared earlier. It was gentle, and he couldn’t tell if that was because Ekko was now aware of his injuries, but he appreciated it nonetheless.

“The compass in your heart, huh?” Ekko looked up at him, an amused look on his face. Ah. That’s what it was. Ezreal laughed, shrugging his shoulders.

“Hey, I wasn’t lying. Entirely, anyways. Sometimes a nice innkeeper from Ionia gives you directions and you can’t say no.”

“Right.” He hummed, leaning against the other. “Are you ready to head home now?”

“Been ready. Just got distracted by the audience.” Ezreal gestured to the group of kids not to far away from them, who were now heading back to their normal hangout spot. Ekko laughed in response, releasing his embrace around the blonde and taking his hand again.

For the first time in weeks, he felt safe, and he’d turn back the clock a hundred times over just to keep it that way.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thank u for reading ! i hope you enjoyed this emotional roller coaster as much as i did writing it. follow me on twitta @ nyxate for more league content & stay tuned for more ekkoez content in the future


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